diff --git a/core/vm/evm.go b/core/vm/evm.go
index 0593a32a3e..af39638da2 100644
--- a/core/vm/evm.go
+++ b/core/vm/evm.go
@@ -474,7 +474,22 @@ func (evm *EVM) create(caller ContractRef, codeAndHash *codeAndHash, gas uint64,
 	snapshot := evm.StateDB.Snapshot()
 	if !evm.StateDB.Exist(address) {
 		evm.StateDB.CreateAccount(address)
+	} else {
+		// Firehose: In previous versions of the EVM, there was no `evm.StateDB.Exist`
+		// above and the `CreateAccount` was always called. This was leading to
+		// always get a `OnNewAccount` event in the tracer as we were not checking
+		// previous existence of the account.
+		//
+		// With the introduction of the `Exist` method, there is now cases where
+		// `CreateAccount` is not called if it was previously existing.
+		//
+		// To keep the same tracing behavior as before, we call the `OnNewAccount`
+		// manually here if the account was previously existing.
+		if evm.Config.Tracer != nil && evm.Config.Tracer.OnNewAccount != nil {
+			evm.Config.Tracer.OnNewAccount(address, true)
+		}
 	}
+
 	// CreateContract means that regardless of whether the account previously existed
 	// in the state trie or not, it _now_ becomes created as a _contract_ account.
 	// This is performed _prior_ to executing the initcode,  since the initcode